SEC Chair Paul Atkins Sets Out 2026 Rulemaking Priorities, Echoes Trump's Push for U.S. to Become 'Crypto Capital of the World'

SEC Chair Paul Atkins on July 7 released a statement on the agency's 2026 regulatory agenda, laying out three main priorities, according to the SEC's website. First, crypto asset regulation. Framed in the context of President Trump's aim to make the United States the "crypto capital", Atkins said the SEC will work to strengthen compliance pathways for crypto products, set rules for crypto asset financing, and establish frameworks covering custody and onchain trading of tokenized securities. Second, revitalizing public markets. The agency plans to advance IPO reforms, streamline disclosure requirements, and ease compliance costs, with the goal of encouraging more companies to go public and giving retail investors a greater chance to participate in economic growth. Third, opening private markets. Atkins said the SEC will propose changes that would allow retail participation in private markets, paired with appropriate safeguards, to reduce what he described as an "exclusive to the wealthy" barrier. Atkins added that the SEC will continue to follow its congressional mandate, aiming to keep U.S. capital markets at the forefront globally in depth, vitality, and the translation of innovation into market activity.